The Truth About STDs

Every year 9 million of you — that's about 1 in 4 sexually active teens — get a sexually transmitted disease. Even scarier, more than half of you don't even realize you have one! Here's what you must know to stay safe.

How do you treat it? Doctors can remove the warts or prescribe a cream for you to use to get rid of them. An HPV vaccine is suggested for girls 9 to 26 to help prevent strains causing cervical cancer.

CHLAMYDIA AND GONORRHEA

What is it? Both are bacterial infections passed through vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

How common is it? 5 to 10 percent of teens have chlamydia; 2.5 percent, gonorrhea.

What are the symptoms? Puslike discharge, burning while peeing, bleeding between periods; but often, no symptoms at all.

How do you treat it? Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics. If left untreated, both diseases can develop into pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain.

GENITAL HERPES

What is it? A virus passed through skin-to-skin contact via vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

How common is it? 1 in 5 Americans have it, but most don't even know.

What are the symptoms? Outbreaks of blisters and sores in the genital area; also, flu symptoms like fever and swollen glands.

How do you treat it? There is no cure for herpes, but there are medications to decrease the number and severity of outbreaks. Managing stress, exercising, and eating healthfully can help.

TRICHOMONIASIS

What is it? A one-celled parasite transmitted through vaginal sex.

How common is it? Less than 1 percent, though teens make up a quarter of new cases.

What are the symptoms? Stinky smell; discharge that's yellow, green, or gray; itching; and pain when you pee.

How do you treat it? Take antibiotics prescribed by a doctor and make sure your sex partner is treated too. Be sure to finish the medication, even if the symptoms go away.

CRABS

What is it? Pubic hair parasites (lice) that jump from body to body with skin-on-skin contact or sex.

How common is it? Three million Americans get crabs every year.

What are the symptoms? Intense itching in pubic area; sometimes you can see the bugs on your pubic hair or on your sheets.

How do you treat it? Use a shampoo prescribed by a doctor and pick out eggs with a fine-toothed comb. Then wash all your clothes and bedding in hot water and dry on the hot cycle.

HIV

What is it? A virus transmitted by blood or sexual fluids during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

How common is it? Girls make up 57 percent of all new teen HIV cases.

What are the symptoms? Symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses — the only way to know for sure is to take an HIV test.

How do you treat it? There is no cure for HIV, but there are new medications that can help slow its damage to the immune system, allowing people to live longer, healthier lives.

3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIV NOW

Protect yourself. The best way to protect against HIV is to not have sex. But for those who are sexually active, using a latex condom correctly is your best defense. Visit onecondoms.com for cool condoms.

HIV IS NOT JUST A GAY DISEASE. Eighty percent of all diagnosed cases in girls and women are transmitted through heterosexual sex. Also, half of all new HIV infections occur in people under the age of 25.

GET TESTED. A home collection kit ($44, homeaccess.com) lets you test at home — you mail in the kit for results. Or you can ask your doctor to do a mouth swab and give you results in less than 20 minutes.